3 trades Cowboys must make to be legit Super Bowl contenders
By Joe Romano
1. Akiem Hicks for Michael Gallup and a fifth-round pick
This is the trade that Cowboys fans should want to see the most. Swapping two players on the last year of their deals to see if either can become a long-term solution. Chicago adds a young wide receiver that they can likely afford once they lose star Allen Robinson this offseason. Dallas gets a monster in the middle of a defense that is performing above how they expected entering this season.
Akiem Hicks is still a wrecking ball in the middle of a defense, something the Cowboys lack at the moment. There are promising young defensive tackles like Osa Odighizuwa, but Hicks is another level. Outside of Odighizuwa no other defensive tackle for Dallas has recorded a sack on the season. Bringing him in to compliment Dallas’ edge talent in Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory and rookie Micah Parsons could make their front one of the league’s best. This is the type of win-now move that could vault Dallas into a different level.
Gallup would be a welcome addition to a receiving room that will likely be overhauled this offseason. Losing Robinson would hurt a little less with Gallup entering the mix. He would need a long-term deal but would come much cheaper than the former All-Pro. Quarterback Justin Fields is known for pushing the ball down the field and that is where Gallup wins. Its a great match between receiver skill set and what the quarterback likes to do. Grabbing Gallup now and eventually paying him allows Chicago to focus on fixing their offensive line with more resources rather than worry about filling in for the likely absence of Robinson.